Category: blog

“If only I could get funding for my film, then I could make it (but I can’t because won’t).”

“If only someone would give me $50,000, then I could self-publish and market my new book (not realising that you’ll need more like $1 million to market a book effectively).

“If only God would make me win the lottery, then I would just do creative stuff all day (and run around calling myself a ‘creative’).

It’s the third example which gets me, because, while money is at the forefront of the mind when people dribble down the what-if pathway, it is not the primary solution.

Novelist Anthony Trollope worked a full-time job as a postal clerk, who wrote for two and a half hours each morning before work. He produced multiple massive novels by this discipline.

I know a man who kept working on a plan for a Christian TV show for more than 10 years. The plan was great. The problem was, he spent 10 years working on a plan which, due to a changing media environment, in 10 years time, the plan was redundant (he is still working on it).

As any entrepreneur will tell you: your most valuable commodity is not money, but time.

Take me for example. Right now I am in-between jobs, so I am not earning any money. As a result of my situation I have copious amounts of time. And by my use (or non-use) of this available time, I am able to produce creative works which may, return on investment, money back to me. This isn’t some stupid speaking secrets to the universe and getting back a red bike, kind of thing. This is a basic business principle.

Creative people can’t afford to simply stick with being arty. That’s useless.

As a highly creative person, today, I can set myself boundaries, be disciplined with my available time, and, like Trollope, produce a quality creative product. Or … I can watch TV.